Burning i fluid



u. H. CHAMBERLAIN.

Lam p.

Patentd May 8, 1855.,

N. PETERS. Phulxrlimegmpmr, washington. u. C.

` as spirit gas or burningfluid. I'Th highly f inflammable nature ofthese substances and,

and particularly a mixture o f part f` Letters Patento. 12;8l4,

` "andexact descriplof awlamp lwith my imhe tothe uppers pai-t `being is; 2 andwillbe recamphene or vturpentinel-l com ly; known their` liability to explode when .vaporized `and `mixed with,` air render their use extremelydangerous, and are the "cause of s many distressingaccidents and deaths. On many accounts", however, partlcularlyonthe j score ofeconomy cleanliness and thebrilm liancy` of the flame produced these spirituous fluids are preferableto the oils no-wcom monlyfemployedyandwere it not for the above;mentionedobjections they Woulden-- tirely supersede the latter for illuminating f purposes in jsituations where gas was not attainable 1f Numerous attempts "have been to remedy the above ``evils,"but with very limited success ;so1r`ie-` olf the. `means adopted have g proved successfulWunder;` certain circumstanceswhile they have totally failed under Iothers,` and none `of them: have succeeded in rendering "the "use ofthe fluids in question safe under allthe circumstancesto whicht-he l lamps may be exposed.I l l To accomplish thlsdesired end and to ren- `der `the use of these inammableI burning fluids entirely free from danger is the ob- `ject of mypresent invention, which consists in `filling thebody of the lamp with a material which shall befcapable'of absorbing "the luidwithinitspores, and shall also discharge itfreely asitris required to feed the flame. For thispurpose lhave tried a great i variety of substances onlyoneof which was found to answer thedesired end. Sponge cohol "and IZAMP non BURNINGFLUID.

dated "May s, f 1855; aeissud j March L 19,

. waiilabsort fhe'nuiabtua Twin' not again discharge 1t as 1t is wanted-*and it lsonbe- "comes'lgurnmed up witntheturpeiitine which `'Ihematerial whichll I havefound to' fulfil' all therequirementsis be here detailed have "entirely failed toL41 answerthe purpose.

employ and which granulated pumice stone. Thissubstanoe possesses peculiarities which particularly adaptlitto the purpose.` '1st-.ft freely `absorbs theifluid within `its pores.` 52d. EIt fasti l i `freely `yields it up again 'whenit is required.l

y ablefto "Jemployfor-` illuminating` purposes yarious hydrocarbons,

8d. It willremainfor 'anyrlength of time l separates and settles from thefspiritsaifdtlie V sponge isirendereduseless; `Various"granu- Vlated substanceswere "also tried' suchlassmall "shot which for various reasonslthat need'not up""byli the turpentineas is the oase 'withany other substance with which Irfhaveexperimented. 4th. `The :material itselffis very "light," the weight of the lamp not being sen- "sibly Yincreased thereby. 5th. The pumice stone is not corroded or` otherwise affected by the burning fluid whereas the wire gauze and other metallic substances employed are speedilyv corroded and deteriorated by the turpentine in the fluid.'` Y

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention and to put it in prac- *the bottom of the` lamp is permanently soldered' the tube B which is perforated With holes fortheadmission of the fluid into this tube is inserted the wick which is introduced from the top by means of a wire.

Around thistube is packed the pumice stone C so as to fill the whole interior of the lamp as represented in the drawings. The pumice stone for-this purpose is prepared by crushing and sifting through sieves of different fineness so as to leave the available portion ofthe size of the smallest shot. The lamp isthen closed by the perforated plate a and the screw cap D, in the top of which is the cap or reservoir b, to contain a small quantity of alcohol for the purpose ofl starting' v the lamp when it is used as a `gaslanip as "will be hereafter explained. ln li'eii of the abovearrangementythe tube Bmaylipass directly through the top of the'lamp Which may be closed permanently around it,- the lamp bee ing filled through the opening f, but this forms no part of my invention and need not be further described.

The wick g being introduced as before stated into the tube B by means of a wire, becomes saturated by the liquid within the tube, the heat from the flame warming and and vapo-rizing the fluid, by which means the brilliancy of the light is greatly increased. This warming of the fluid, which is so carefully to be guarded against in all other lamps for burning explosive inflammable compounds, is attended with no danger in my lamp. y

Where the lamp is to be used as a gas lamp, the burner is fitted vover the lamp tube B as seen in red in Fig. l, and it is then ignited by burning a small quantity ofalcohol in the reservoir Z), which generates sufficient gas to ignite the fiame, which then continues to burn as in other similarlyA arranged lamps.

A can or other vessel which may contain the fluid may be protected from danger should the lamp be filled while it is burning a portion of the spout of the feeder as ing without the least fear of accident either from gas Within the canister or from the ignition of the fluid itself as the flame cannot pass down through the granulated pumice.

If an ordinary fluid lamp be filled with vaporized burning fluid, mixed with common air, and a flame be brought in contact with the mixture an explosion will take place. With a lamp prepared as above this can never occur as the flame will not descend beneath the surface of pumice. And should my lamp by any means be shattered in a manner which under ordinary circumstances would throw t-he iiuid over the clothes of those near and endanger their lives, no such accident can happen as the yfluid falls with the pumice, and is not thrown upon the person, but burns harmlessly and slowly upon the fioor.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The employment of granulated pumice stone as a packing for spirit lamps and other vessels containing any inflammable hydrocarbon in the manner and forthe purpose substantially as herein set forth.

DEXTER H. CHAMBERLAIN.

Witnesses:

SAM COOPER, JOHN S. CLow.

[FIRST PRINTED 1913.] 

